The Wellington Sakai Association is a group of Wellington residents who work alongside the City Council to foster social, cultural and sport relationships between the people of Wellington and Sakai City, Japan.
Wellington and Sakai have a wide variety of exchanges, including the Wellington Children’s Art Exhibition, and has also included the annual Marathon Exchange (on pause due to COVID-19).
The idea of the Sakai-Wellington sister city relationship was originally promoted by the Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand, Takeo Iguchi.
In 1993, Fran Wilde, then Mayor of Wellington, visited Sakai and signed an agreement to set up a sister city relationship. On 4 February 1994 in Wellington the Mayor of Sakai, Hideo Hataya, and Mayor Wilde formally signed the sister city agreement.
The Wellington Sakai Association was set up in 1995. The mission of the association is to support the Council in the development of the sister city relationship with Sakai. There is also a Sakai Wellington Association in Japan.
HONEYWA is the "yuru-kyara", or mascot character, of the Wellington Sakai Association, representing the strong connection and relationship between the cities of Wellington and Sakai.
HONEYWA is a combination of a HANIWA, a traditional burial figure in Japan that is found in the burial mounds of Japan, especially in Sakai, and the Beehive here in Wellington! Because she's from the beehive, she's got HONEY! And the WA in her name is the Japanese word for PEACE! Of course, she's in the shape of a HANIWA, too!
Download and fill out a membership form (link below) and send it back to us, or fill out our online form.
Membership allows a member to exercise one vote at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting. Membership is due at the beginning of each financial year, which is from 1 July to 30 June of the following year.
Wellington Sakai Association welcomes voluntary donations in support of its activities to promote the sister-city relationship.
The Wellington Sakai Association offers the following types of membership:
Individual $15.00
Couple/Family $25.00
Student/Beneficiary $10.00
Corporate not for profit $40.00
Corporate commercial $100.00
For internet banking our Account No. is 38-9012-0682871-00 KiwiBank. Please enter your name under “Payee details" and "membership" as a reference. If paying by cheque, please make it out to “Wellington Sakai Association” and send it to: Wellington Sakai Association, c/o International Relations, WCC, PO Box 2199, Wellington 6140
